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Exceptional," Mr Greedy said, smacking his lips in appreciation, the faint memory of the meal still intact on his lips. "Really exceptional food at amazing prices, he can't fail."

By 'he' he means Jamie Oliver, who has finally put his wallet where his Essex mouth is and opened his own restaurant on George Street in Oxford's city centre this week (Jamie's Italian).

This isn't a TV spin-off, or a good cause, this is the food Jamie loves in an environment he's happy in. And it's good - really good.

Don't expect gourmet meals though - it's about delicious ingredients and simple home-cooking with that unmistakeable Jamie twist - the menu being splattered with jamie-isms - 'smashed garlic', 'lovely lamb', 'fantastic beef', 'ouzey mushrooms', 'loadsa herbs' and 'humble salad'.

Yet the flavours are allowed to speak for themselves, the wholesalers are personal friends and the pasta is all made on site. And it's fun to boot, with a real buzz about the place. If one thing is going to kick all those 80s chain restaurants into touch on George Street, it's Jamie's Italian. So bring it on.

And bring it on they did. The four of us had a bit of everything to see if Jamie really has got it right, from the iced olives and his roasted almonds, to the breads, antipasti planks, steaks, pasta, veg and salads, so don't expect a bill.

We drew a line at the desserts because after all that lot and some ridiculously strong cocktails, plus a few bottles of Jamie's vino to wash it all down, we were 'pukka mate' and couldn't fit in another polenta chip, let alone an amalfi orange tart.

The polenta chips by the way are absolutely fantastic - deep-fried in a rosemary and salt crust. I could have eaten bowlfuls - oh, I did eat bowlfuls. The planks were also really memorable - thick wooden boards laid on your table, balanced on two tins of tomatoes, and filled with a wonderfully authentic variety of meat antipasti, cheeses, pickles and salads that have you gorging like John Prescott on a bulemic binge.

The meat mains were also delicious - the sirloin steak (aged for 21 days on the bone, chargrilled and served pink) perfect and the scorched lamb chops with dressed salad greens and Italian mint sauce had the boys dribbling in delight.

Personally I found the pasta disappointing. I tried both the turbo penne arrabiatta which was too bland for my liking, although the £5 portion was more than enough, and the £6 truffle tagliatelle, which, although wonderful value didn't have enough creamy depth for me. The caesar salad didn't go down very well either, the chicken being served on the side and the dressing a far cry from the authentic taste we expect from this classic dish.

So there were a few downpoints, but on the whole this is the best new place to hit Oxford in ages and I for one can't wait to go back. Being open for breakfast, lunch and supper all day everyday will help, and you can't book, so sitting at the bar waiting for a table may be on the cards.

But even when the opening hype has evaporated, if Jamie can keep the standards up, this will be THE place to go in the city centre for the foreseeable future.

What we had: World's best olives on ice £3.25 Roasted almonds spiced with a chilli & fennel rock salt £1.95 Basket of top Italian bread £3.25 Meat antipasti plank £6.50 a head Mozzarella di bufala with lush basil pesto £4.25 Crispy polenta chips with rosemary salt £2.50 Truffle tagliatelle £6 Turbo penne arrabiatta £5 Sirloin steak £15.95 Lamb chops scorched fingers £13.85 Grilled chicken caesar salad £10.75 Humble green salad £1.95 pan Cooked garlicky greens with tomatoes £2.50 Skinny potato chips with rosemary chips £2.50 Latte £2 Red merlot £13.95

5:49pm Thursday 5th June 2008

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